《歷世真仙體道通鑑》Vol. 7

Comprehensive Mirror of Immortals Who, Throughout the Ages, Embodied the Dao (Volume Seven)

Compiled and edited by Zhao Daoyi, a Daoist priest of the Palace of Sacred Longevity on Floating Cloud Mountain

Dong Zhongjun

Dong Zhongjun was from Linhuai. In his youth, he practiced guiding Qi and refining the body, Daoist methods of cultivation. He lived to be over a hundred without growing old. Once, after being falsely accused, he was imprisoned. He pretended to die, and his body rotted and filled with worms. After the jailers carried him outside, he came back to life and then departed through corpse liberation, a legendary Daoist means of transcending the body to become an immortal.

Che Zihou

Che Zihou was from Fufeng. Emperor Wu of Han admired his quiet nature and lack of desire, gradually promoting him until he became a Palace Attendant, a close aide to the emperor. One morning, he told his family, “I am now going to take up a post among the immortals. I will leave this spring and briefly return by summer; after some time, I will depart again.” Events later unfolded exactly as he had said.

Emperor Wu missed him and composed this song:

Beautiful orchids spread across a lovely bamboo mat.
Enchanting scenes obscure the sun.
Bright, fair landscapes send their fragrance on the wind.
August Heaven, how could you lack insight?
The man who followed the Dao has departed for the land of immortals.
The road to Heaven is distant; I know not when we shall meet again.
Unaware, I let my tears fall, wetting my robes.

Wang Xing

Wang Xing was from Yangcheng and often stayed in Wangu. He was an ordinary man and did not know that he was destined to study the Dao.

On the Jiazi day of the first month in the second year of Yuanfeng, Emperor Wu of Han climbed Mount Song. Beside the Great Yu Stone, he established a Daoist shrine and ordered Dong Zhongjun, Dongfang Shuo, and others to purify themselves, quiet their minds, and seek the gods. Suddenly, an immortal appeared, over twenty feet tall, with ears that reached the top of his head and hung down to his shoulders. Emperor Wu received him with due courtesy and asked who he was. The immortal replied, “I am from Mount Jiuyi. I heard that on the stone mountain of the Central Peak there is a nine-jointed piece of calamus, one inch long, which can grant longevity if taken. So I came to gather it.” With that, he suddenly vanished.

Emperor Wu turned to his attendants and said, “He is not a cultivator who takes such substances. I suspect he is the spirit of the Central Peak, using this to admonish me.” He then gathered calamus and took it. Two years later, Emperor Wu—who usually enjoyed hot food—found that after taking the calamus, eating hot food made him feel distressed and unwell, so he stopped taking it. Many of the officials who accompanied him also took calamus, but none could keep it up for long.

When Wang Xing heard of the immortal who took calamus, he gathered some and took it without ever stopping. Later, he became an assistant clerk in Pujiang County. Hearing that there were places within the county where immortals manifested, he often gazed up at the clouds, turned his heart toward the Dao, and practiced with devotion. In the end, he resigned from office and lived in seclusion on Qiuchang Mountain, the twenty-second immortal realm. Below the mountain was a cave, and inside lived a thousand-year-old golden toad. Local elders passed down the story from generation to generation, saying that anyone who saw it would…

Later, he attained the Dao and became an immortal. On the mountaintop grew a jade-flower tree whose trunk was about eight or nine feet in diameter. Its leaves resembled those of the white sandalwood tree, and it remained lush even through the depths of winter. According to legend, whenever the tree bloomed, someone who had attained the Dao would ascend to Heaven from that place. Its flowers resembled lotus blossoms, and their fragrance could drift for several miles.

He lived and cultivated on this mountain, guarding the spirit and embracing the One, absorbing the essences of the sun and moon, and practicing the art of riding dragons and treading the constellations. After nine years, the jade-flower tree suddenly blossomed. He saw a golden toad leaping ahead to guide him into a cave, where he encountered an elixir of golden liquid. He bowed, received it, and swallowed it. Then a cloud chariot came to welcome him, and he ascended to Heaven in broad daylight. Later, because he had attained the Dao and become an immortal, people called him the Lord Registrar, Marquis of Huashouguang.

Marquis of Huashouguang

The Marquis of Huashouguang could command all manner of ghosts and spirits, making them bind themselves and reveal their forms. A woman in a village had been harmed by a spirit. The marquis performed a rite to drive it away, and a huge snake, several zhang long, was found dead outside her gate.

There was also a sacred tree: anyone who lingered beside it would die, and birds that flew past would fall from the sky. The marquis again performed a rite to expel the evil. In the height of summer, the sacred tree withered and shed its leaves; among its branches they found a huge snake, seven or eight zhang long, hanging dead.

When Emperor Wu of Han heard of this, he summoned the marquis and tested him. “After midnight, several people in red clothes, with their hair hanging loose and torches in their hands, often follow those around my palace. Can you drive them away?” The marquis replied, “They are merely minor spirits; they will be easy to dispel.” Emperor Wu then secretly ordered three men to pose as the apparitions. After the marquis performed his rite, the three fell to the ground at once and lost consciousness. Alarmed, Emperor Wu said, “They are not demons or spirits. I was only testing you.” The marquis then performed a rite to revive them, and the three regained consciousness.

Wei Shuqing

Wei Shuqing attained the Dao and became an immortal by taking mica. On a renchen day in the eighth month of the second year of the Tianhan era under Emperor Wu of Han, the Most High Lord Lao again sent Wei Shuqing to visit the emperor. At the time, Emperor Wu was relaxing in his palace hall when he suddenly saw an immortal dressed in feather robes and wearing a star crown, arriving in a cloud chariot drawn by a white deer.

Emperor Wu asked in surprise who he was. The immortal replied, “I am Wei Shuqing of Zhongshan.” Emperor Wu said, “Since you are a subject of Zhongshan, you are my subject. Come forward and speak with me.” Wei Shuqing immediately vanished, and no one knew where he had gone. Emperor Wu deeply regretted this and at once sent Liang Bo to Zhongshan to look for him. Liang Bo did not find Wei Shuqing, but returned with his son, Dushi, to meet the emperor.

Emperor Wu asked Dushi, “Where is your father now?” Dushi replied, “My father loved the arts of the Dao from his youth and had no wish to involve himself in worldly affairs. He left home and abandoned the family estate forty-five years ago. He said he was going to Mount Hua.” Emperor Wu again sent Liang Bo and Dushi together to Mount Hua to look for him. When they reached the foot of a sheer cliff, they saw Wei Shu…

You and several companions are playing a board game on the rocks. Purple clouds hang over you all, and everyone is seated on a bed made of white jade.

Several immortals stand behind you, holding ceremonial staffs. When Dushi sees them, he quickly bows twice in greeting.

Shuqing asks, “Why have you come here?” Dushi replies, “The emperor deeply regrets that, because of the haste of recent events, he was unable to speak with his father. He has now specially sent the messenger Liang Bo to come with me, hoping to see his father once more.”

Shuqing says, “I was once commanded by the Great High One to tell the emperor when the great calamity would arrive and how its dangers might be averted, so that perhaps the fortunes of the state could continue. But the emperor was arrogant and did not understand the true Dao, so I left. Now I must confer with Zhonghuang Taiyi about the affairs of the Heavenly Origin. I will not return.”

After Liang Bo returned and reported to the emperor, the emperor was deeply remorseful. At that time, Dushi asked Shuqing, “Who are those seated beside my father?” Shuqing replied, “They are Master Hongya, Xu You, Chao Fu, Lord Taixuan, Feihuangzi, Wang Ziqiao, and Xue Rong.”

Shuqing added, “The world is about to fall into great disorder. In a few hundred years, the dynasty of Earth’s Virtue will fall, and the dynasty of Metal’s Virtue will fall as well. When you return, go to the foot of the great pillar in the northwest corner of my meditation chamber and take the Book of Divine Essence from the jade casket. Prepare and take its medicines according to the instructions in the book. After a year of cultivation, you will be able to ride the clouds. When your practice is complete, come back here to find me.”

Dushi bowed farewell and departed. Later, following the immortals’ prescriptions, he served as Liang Bo’s teacher, prepared and took the medicines, and ultimately attained the Dao and became an immortal together with Liang Bo.

Dai Meng

Dai Meng was a Daoist from Mount Wudang. His courtesy name was Chengzi, and he was from Wuwei. According to legend, during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han, he served as a palace general. His original surname was Yan, his personal name was Ji, and his courtesy name was Zhongwei; after attaining the Dao, he changed his name. Another account holds that he lived during the reign of Emperor Ming of the Han.

He lost his father in childhood and served his mother with great filial devotion. Later, he became interested in the study of immortals and traveled widely. After his mother died, he entered Mount Huayang and took Atractylodes and yellow essence. He also cultivated and consumed mica, realgar, cinnabar, and lingzhi. His resolve to cultivate the Dao was firm, and the longer he practiced, the more diligent he became.

One day, the Perfected One Pei Qingling transmitted to him the Scripture of the Jade Pendant and Golden Dang and the Golden Light Talisman of Stone Essence. He devoted himself to their practice and gradually felt his body grow light. He traveled among famous mountains and sought out immortal realms, covering seven hundred li in a day, and ultimately attained the way of immortality. He carried more than ten scrolls at his waist; these were the Yellow Book of Taiwei. The immortals Guo Zihua, Zhang Jilian, Zhao Shuda, and Shan Shiyuan often kept him company.

Xie Yunchang once took Dai Meng as his master. Xie Yunchang, whose courtesy name was Daotong, was from Liyang. As a child, he was kidnapped and sold, and eventually ended up in Dongyang. Much later, he reported the matter to the authorities, but someone falsely accused him, and he was imprisoned in Wushang County, where he was about to be sentenced to death. One night, an old man gave him a talisman. After that, a boy dressed in yellow came and went, and Xie was able to escape danger.

During the Xian’kang era of Emperor Cheng of Jin, Xie came to Mount Wudang in Xiangyang and met Dai Meng. Observing Dai’s bearing and appearance, he recognized him as the person who had given him the talisman in prison. He therefore paid his respects to Dai as a disciple and asked him to teach the essentials of the Daoist arts. Xie later entered government service, holding posts in Liyang, Xinfeng, and Xidao. At each place, accounts of miraculous events were common. Even at the age of seventy, he showed no signs of aging. Dai Meng, meanwhile, would sometimes withdraw from the world and sometimes appear; no one knew where he went. The Zhengao (a Daoist text) says that the boy in yellow was an official bearing jade pendants and golden ornaments—a divine official adorned with jade pendants and gold ornaments.

Shan Shiyuan

Shan Shiyuan passed on the cultivation method of Master Dai Meng: before going to bed at night, first read the Huangting Neijing Jing (the Scripture of the Yellow Court’s Inner Landscape, a classic on visualization and nourishing the spirit) from beginning to end, then go to sleep. This practice helps regulate and nourish a person’s hun and po souls. Shan Shiyuan practiced this method for twenty-one years and also became an immortal. According to the method, one should read the text ten thousand times in total; reading it three or four times each evening is considered good progress. After attaining the Dao, Shan Shiyuan became a Perfected One of Supreme Harmony.

Mao Bodao

Mao Bodao, Liu Daogong, Xie Zhi-jian, and Zhang Zhaoqi all lived during the Eastern Han dynasty. They studied the Dao together on Mount Wangwu for more than forty years and jointly refined a divine elixir. Mao Bodao took the elixir first and died immediately. Liu Daogong took it next and died as well. Xie Zhi-jian and Zhang Zhaoqi did not dare take any more, so they threw the elixir away and prepared to return home. Before they had left the mountain, they suddenly saw Mao Bodao and Liu Daogong appear on the slopes, each riding a white deer. Immortals holding tallies followed behind them. Deeply grieved and astonished, Xie and Zhang bitterly regretted what they had done and apologized to them. Liu Daogong taught them how to take poria, and the two later were also able to transcend the world and become immortals.

A commentary to the Zhengao says that the name Xie Zhi-jian appears in three sources: one account says he followed Ge Xuan, another places him in Deer Track Cave, and a third refers to the person recorded here. A detailed examination concludes that these accounts describe the same person, though the names are identical.

Su Lin

Lord Su, whose given name was Lin and courtesy name was Zixuan, was from Qushui in Puyang. In his youth, he was exceptionally gifted and distinguished in his aspirations and conduct, with few who could equal him. His resolve to seek out Perfected Ones and pursue the Dao grew stronger day by day. He once carried a load on a shoulder pole to the state of Zhao and became a disciple of Master Qin Gao. At the time, he was twenty-one years old and received instruction in the Daoist arts of refining Qi and extending life. Qin Gao had initially served as a retainer under King Kang of Zhou; later, through his moral cultivation, he was selected to receive the subtle arts of the Dao…

By the time his alchemical practice enabled him to walk on water, he was already nine hundred years old. Yet he had only escaped death; he had not become an immortal who ascended to the heavens. Later, he rode a red carp into the water and sometimes came and went among the human world. But Lin Tuojing’s aspiration to reach the celestial realm of Danyao did not endure to the end. Afterward, he became a disciple of the immortal Master Qiu of Mount Hua.

During the time of King Tang of Shang, Master Qiu served as the official in charge of wood. He practiced methods such as embryonic breathing and absorbing Qi, as well as techniques for guarding the spirit and securing the soul, and benefited greatly from them. He said to Lin, “You have the capacity to become an immortal and should study the true Daoist methods. My own attainment is not yet sufficient for you to follow.” He then introduced Lin to Juanzi. Juanzi was a perfected being; on meeting Lin, he taught him the true secrets and told him:

“To become a perfected being on earth, you must first take medicinal substances to clear away the Three Corpses and kill the grain worms.

The first of the Three Corpses is called Qinggu. It harms the eyes, causing dim vision, a wrinkled face, bad breath, and falling teeth. It is said that this happens when the Qi of Qinggu enters the Mudball Palace, the Daoist name for the brain’s spiritual chamber.

The second is called Baigu. It harms the five viscera, causing the mind and its faculties to decline, strength to diminish, forgetfulness, and a dull, troubled spirit. It is said that this happens when Baigu moves through the fluids of the six bowels.

The third is the Blood Corpse. It harms the stomach and intestines, causing abdominal distension, wasting of the bones and flesh, a closed and unsettled mind, and difficulty concentrating. One feels hungry without food, and is prone to sorrow and sighing, mental dullness, and confusion of spirit. It is said that this happens when the Blood Corpse wanders about, gnawing at the gateways of the soul embryo—the bodily passages associated in Daoist thought with the soul and its aspects.

If you take medicines without first removing the Three Corpses, the worms inside you will not die, even if you abstain from grain. Abstaining from the five flavors is futile; even diligent practice of breathing and circulating Qi will bring no benefit. As long as these worms live, a person cannot attain longevity.

Thus medicines and grain abstention cannot free a person from life and death because the three demonic worms—Qinggu, Baigu, and the Blood Corpse—have not been removed. Even after giving up grain, the body remains heavy and sluggish, and the spirit muddled and oppressed. Agitation and confusion persist, and improper thoughts cannot be dispelled, because the worms are disturbing the Five Spirits, the Daoist spirits associated with the five viscera.

Anyone who seeks the true Dao must first take the Worm-Controlling Pill, also called the Pill for the Beginning Spirit’s Removal of the Root. Anyone who wishes to become a perfected being must first take the Immortal-Making Pill, which is the Supreme One’s Eightfold Jade Flying-Essence Elixir. Those who seek long life without death and wish to become immortals and perfected beings all first take the Worm-Controlling Pill, removing the corpse worms and laying the foundation for longevity. How can someone with worms in their belly become an immortal? And how can a body filled with ghosts become a perfected being?”

The reason that hastened a person’s death should, in principle, be cast off. Juanzi, a legendary immortal who attained the Dao, told Lin, “The Celestial Emperor has summoned me to ascend to Heaven and take up the post of Chief of the Four Offices of Zhonghuang, while also assuming the duties of Lord of the Northern Sea. I am leaving the human world for good; there will be no day of return.”

Later, Lin entered Juanzi’s quiet bedchamber and found a letter he had left for him. It read:

“The Five Bushels and Three Ones is a secret method preserved by the Great Emperor. Reflect on it with full attention for twenty years, and the Three Ones will appear and transmit this text to you. If the Three Ones can make a person live long and never die, how much more can simply keeping them in mind accomplish? If you can visualize the Three Ones, your name can be inscribed on a jade register; how much more if you can meet them in person?

“Add to this the visualization of the Cavernous Chamber, the inner palace of the body corresponding to the spirits, and you can become a Lord of Shangqing. If you also understand the Three Origins, the three primal energies or deities spoken of in Daoism, you can become a Lord of the Five Emperors. The Later Sage, the Lord of the Golden Gate, could ride a chariot swift as thunder and travel through the ten directions of Heaven precisely because he cultivated the Cavernous Chamber, the Three Origins, and the True One.

“I took the essence of trees for three hundred years, practiced the circulation of Qi for five hundred years, concentrated my thoughts for six hundred years, kept the Three Ones for three hundred years, kept the Cavernous Chamber for six hundred years, and kept the Mysterious Elixir, the spirit in the Niwan Palace, for five hundred years. During this time I also traveled among famous mountains and gazed into the distance toward the Eight Seas; I flew among the Five Peaks and rested in grottoes. I delighted in the drooping branches of the forest and befriended and played with birds and beasts. I watched streams breathe out and absorb vital essences, and hillsides grow lush with plants; I observed the beauty of all things and the cycles of cold and heat. I fished beside flowing waters and roamed amid the mysterious sounds of nature. In the mountains I quieted my mind, contemplated the True Dao, and nurtured my primal energy. I summoned the Six Dings, six guardian deities in Daoism, and jade maidens to protect me. I traveled throughout the Six Directions, free of all constraint.

“I have guarded my body and sought the True Dao for more than two thousand eight hundred years. I am content to be a mid-ranking immortal and have never sought fame or status. Now at last I have been summoned to take up an office in Heaven. Looking back on the kindness I have known in the human world, I feel sorrowful, but I can only cut off my worldly breath and depart. Let us part here. You must strive diligently and encourage yourself.

“I will be in the Chamber of Xiangbiao, an abode of immortals.” After reading the letter, Lin wept and paced about, bowing toward the sky. From then on, there was no trace of his master Juanzi.

The Mysterious Elixir is the spirit in the Niwan Palace. This method of cultivation comes from the Supreme Tai Shang Su Ling Jue: keeping the Three Ones can make one an Earthly Perfected One; keeping the Cavernous Chamber can make one a Perfected One; and keeping the Mysterious Elixir can bring one into the Taiwei Palace.

Lin respectfully practiced these arts. After attaining the Dao, he traveled throughout the world and visited famous mountains. He could manifest himself in multiple forms, or withdraw from the world and rest in Danling; at times he sold shoes in the streets and lanes, using an ugly appearance to test people and verify the True Dao. After attaining the Dao, he concealed his traces and underwent strange transformations, so that people of his time could not recognize him.

On the sixth day of the third month in the second year of the Shenjue era of Emperor Yuan of Han, he told his disciple Zhou Jitong, “Yesterday I received a summons from Xuanzhou, a legendary immortal realm. I am to become a Perfected One and take up a post over the Taiji…”

The Grand Master of the Court, Zhonghou, now wishes to bid you farewell. Tomorrow at dawn, a cloud chariot with a feathered canopy will arrive to welcome you, drawn by dragons and attended by tigers, with several thousand people in its train. That very day, Lin ascended to Heaven, his figure receding into the northwest. After a long while, clouds veiled him, and he disappeared from sight.

Before Lin departed, Taiji, a revered celestial deity in Daoism, had sent a messenger down to appoint him Perfected of the Central Peak. Later, the Most High sent Yulang down to appoint him Perfected of the Terrestrial Realm of the Five Peaks. His immortal palace was established at Danling.

His disciple Zhou Jitong said, “I saw with my own eyes my late master attain the Dao and become an immortal. He received three appointments in succession, and at last ascended on high. This was perhaps because his De was vast and sublime, his mysterious resonance accorded with karmic affinities from former lives, and he had been transformed by numinous changes. His spirit and thought were clear and still, reaching in all eight directions. Riding a dragon as he ascended and traveling with phoenixes, he strode into the gate of the Real; moving between concealment and manifestation, he became a bridge between the human world and the realm of immortals. He had endured the trials of worldly life. The Daoist arts were truly wondrous, and the methods were precious indeed. These things cannot be fully conveyed by a rough account written down with brush and paper. For now, I have recorded only their main points, in the hope that people of the Dao in the future may read them.”

Yang Sheng

Yang Sheng lived on Mount Jinmen, west of Mount Shaoshi. In the mountain there was a kind of golden vase syrup; those who drank it could attain the Dao.

Wang Sizhen

The period in which Wang Sizhen attained the Dao is unknown. His immortal rank was Scripture Attendant to the Most High. On the first day of the first month in the second year of the Guanghe era under Emperor Ling of the Han (the year Jimao), the Most High Lord Lao descended to Mount Tiantai. He ordered Wang Sizhen to open the nine-colored container and take out thirty-six scrolls of scriptures, including the Dongxuan and the Great Cavern, which he bestowed upon Ge Xuan, Immortal Lord of the Left Palace of Taiji.

Wang Zhongdu

Wang Zhongdu lived in the Han dynasty. Another account says he was a Daoist who studied the Dao on Mount Liang, where he met the Perfected of Venus and received the Rainbow Elixir. As a result, he could withstand extreme cold and heat, and had already lived for more than two hundred years.

Emperor Yuan of Han summoned him to the capital to test his arts. In the depths of winter, the emperor went out riding with him and ordered him to wear only a single layer of clothing and race around the water beside Kunming Pond in Shanglin Park, riding in a carriage drawn by four horses. The emperor wore a fox-fur coat and still felt cold, while Wang Zhongdu remained calm, heat steaming from his back without cease. On another occasion, in the height of summer, he was placed under the blazing sun and surrounded by ten furnaces, yet he did not complain of the heat or sweat. Later, he too became an immortal and departed.

Sun Simiao once lived and cultivated the Dao on Mount Emei. Wang Zhongdu and several others disguised themselves as hunters and passed by his dwelling, using the opportunity to observe him. Wang Zhongdu then spoke about the essential principles of long life, transmitted the Daoist methods to Sun Simiao, and departed.

Shangcheng Gong

Shang Chenggong was from Mi County. At first, he left home and did not return for a long time. When he eventually came back, he told his family, “I have attained the Dao and become an immortal.” He then bade them farewell and departed. Some people saw him rise higher with each step, fly into the air, and disappear only after a long while. He lived during the Later Han dynasty.

Tong Jun

In the third year of Jian’an under Emperor Xian of Han, the state of Yuantuguo presented a stone chicken that could crow. It was the color of cinnabar and about the size of a swallow. It usually remained hidden underground, but when the time came, it would crow, its call carrying a great distance. When local people heard it, they would slaughter livestock to sacrifice to it. Digging where it had crowed would reveal the stone chicken. According to legend, when peace prevailed throughout the land, it would fly and circle overhead. It was regarded as an auspicious sign and was also called the “Treasure Chicken.” People would also listen to sounds underground to estimate the time.

Daoist accounts say that when the immortal Tong Jun was collecting stones, he entered a cave several li deep and found cinnabar stones and a stone chicken. He ground them up to make medicine. After taking it, a person would emit sounds and breath, and would not die until the end of their allotted lifespan. In the first year of Baoding of the Kingdom of Wu, rare and wondrous objects were presented from various places. Among them was an amber swallow that, when placed in a quiet room, astonishingly sang and flew around inside. These were all marvels of the same kind.

Liu Chen

Liu Chen and Ruan Zhao were both from Shan County. In the fifteenth year of Yong’an under Emperor Ming of Han, they went to Mount Tiantai to gather medicinal herbs. They lost their way, and their provisions were nearly gone. Seeing a peach tree on a mountain peak, they picked and ate its fruit; afterward, they felt a little stronger. After descending the mountain, they found a stream and drank from it, then each bathed.

Next, they saw turnip greens growing out from the mountainside. A cup then floated downstream, containing crumbs of sesame-seed rice. The two said to each other, “This place must be close to the human world.” They waded through water about four feet deep, walked for a li, and crossed another mountain. There they reached a great stream and saw two women whose beauty was rare in the world. They called Liu Chen and Ruan Zhao by name, as if they had known them for a long time, and said delightedly, “Why have you two gentlemen only come now?” Then they invited them into their home.

The halls and pavilions, the clothing and furnishings—everything there was exquisite. On the eastern and western sides of the house stood beds with curtains and hangings, decorated with seven-treasure necklaces unlike anything in the human world. The young women in blue who attended them were all graceful and beautiful. After a while, they served sesame-seed rice and dried goat meat, both delicious, followed by sweet wine.

Then several immortal guests arrived at the women’s home, bringing three or five peaches. They said they had come to celebrate the women’s bridegrooms. Everyone brought out musical instruments and sang and played music. As evening fell, the immortal guests departed one by one. Liu Chen and Ruan Zhao stayed overnight in the home of the women who had invited them, and remained there for fifteen days. The two asked to return home, and the woman replied, “Now…”

Liu Chen and Ruan Zhao came here through blessings accumulated in a former life, which enabled them to enter the Immortals’ Lodge. How could its joys compare with life in the mortal world?

They stayed at the lodge for half a year. The weather was mild and pleasant, like the second or third month of spring in the human world all year round. But when they heard the mournful cries of birds, sadness and longing for home arose in their hearts, and they repeatedly pleaded earnestly to return. The immortal women said, “The roots of your karmic offenses have not yet been exhausted. That is why you have met with this fate.” Then they summoned the other immortal women, and together they played music to send Liu Chen and Ruan Zhao on their way.

After leaving the mouth of the mountain cave, the two soon reached a main road. Following the route the immortal women had described, they returned to their home district. But no one there was familiar to them. The people found the matter strange, and only later discovered that Liu Chen and Ruan Zhao had become ancestors of the seventh generation of descendants. The two had entered the mountains and never come out, and no one in the world knew where they had gone. With no relatives to rely on and nowhere to settle, they wanted to return to the immortal women’s home. But they could no longer find the mountain path they had taken before, and did not know where the immortal women were. In the eighth year of the Taikang era under Emperor Wu of Jin, Liu Chen and Ruan Zhao finally vanished without a trace, and no one knew where they went.

Wu Ding

In the city of Guiyang lived a man named Wu Ding, who practiced the immortal Way and often came and went in the human world. One day, he suddenly said to his younger brother, “On the seventh day of the seventh month, the Weaver Girl will cross the Celestial River, and all the immortals will return to the heavenly palace. I have received a summons and can stay no longer. I must say farewell to you.”

His younger brother asked, “Why is the Weaver Girl crossing the river? When will you come back?” Wu Ding replied, “The Weaver Girl is only going to visit the Cowherd for a short time. After I leave, you will have to wait three thousand years for me to return.”

The next morning, people could no longer find Wu Ding. To this day, people still say that the seventh day of the seventh month is the day the Weaver Girl marries the Cowherd.

Master Xuandu

Master Xuandu received the Black Jade Scripture of the Heaven and Earth’s Seal—a Daoist scripture—from an immortal. Through later practice, he attained the Dao.

Cai Changru

Cai Changru was from Shu Commandery. He took the Ten Essences Pills and lived to the age of three hundred, while retaining the appearance of a young man.

Yanming Zigao

Yanming Zigao took deer antlers and thereby became an immortal.

Cui Yezi

Cui Yezi took zhu (possibly a medicinal plant) to prolong his life and transcend the world.

Ling Zizhen

Ling Zizhen took peach gum and thereby became an immortal.

Ren Dun

Ren Dun was from Bochang. In his youth, he studied the Dao on Mount Luofu, and later lived in the Southern Grotto of Mount Mao. He practiced the method of astral stepping, a ritual form of walking in Daoism, and the Five Talismans of the Grotto of Mystery (a Daoist talismanic practice). He could command and summon ghosts and spirits, and could also make himself invisible or divide himself into multiple forms. While he lived in the mountains, tigers and wolves dared not harm him.

Jingxuanzi

Jingxuanzi practiced the Way of the Central Section, contemplated the Great Dao, and maintained the Three Ones, a Daoist practice of visualizing and cultivating spirits. He often sang: “Gazing from afar at Mount Kunlun, below the mountain are three qing of fields. Tell me, who is tilling the fields? It is the Red Child…”

The passage under the heading “Yuanxian” says that between the two passes stood two numinous trees, facing one another, while the light of the sun and moon mingled to illuminate the spirit road. He followed the great avenue that reaches to Heaven, gathering herbs on Three Subtlety Ridge, rinsing his mouth with water from the Flowery Pool, and roaming among the Twelve Towers. He walked calmly across the Central Plain, wishing to view the Crimson Palace, and happened upon Zidan asleep in the Golden Tower. The tower leaned against a jade table and was joined to a flower-shaped canopy. He then saw two messengers, broad and imposing in stature, stationed on Mount Taihang. How lofty the Long Valley was, with Qi City beside it! Though he rode a chariot drawn by flying dragons, he suddenly arrived at the Abyss of Nonbeing. There, yellow essence grew at the bottom of the spring, while lingzhi mushrooms grew along the Qi River. I wished to bring yellow essence and flowing cinnabar before me, to linger and drink the flowing cinnabar, so that my wings might shine brightly and rise swiftly. But before my wish could be fulfilled, Prince Qiao took hold of my shoulders and arms. The places one must pass through are indeed perilous; the most precious thing is to attain the Dao and become an immortal.

Bo Ju

Bo Ju, whose courtesy name was Zigao, once went into the mountains to cut firewood. He saw two white cranes alight on a rock, then transform into two immortals, who spoke to each other: “We have already compounded the Yin Elixir. We went to Hebei to ask the Queen Mother for Nine-Sword Wine, and its effects after drinking it were excellent.” Hearing the immortals’ words, Bo Ju went to visit the Queen Mother. He obtained the Nine-Sword Wine, returned, and told the immortals what had happened, asking them to grant him the Yin Elixir to take. He immediately rose into the sky, took up a post among the clouds, and gained charge of rain and clouds. (During the Wei-Jin period, there was a master named Bo He who was associated with the Queen Mother of Hebei; it is uncertain whether he was the same person.)

Xu Jidao

When he was young, Xu Jidao lived on Heming Mountain. Later, he met a perfected person who told him: “To study the Dao, you should wear a blue headscarf, recite the Great Calendar, and walk with measured steps: the two whites circle around, and the two reds respond to each other. This is the secret method of the Great Simplicity’s Five Spirits Way.” These words are obscure and difficult to understand. The “Great Calendar” refers to the writings of the Three Sovereigns. Xu Jidao practiced accordingly and eventually attained the Dao.

Zhao Shuqi

No one knows where Zhao Shuqi was from. He once studied the Dao on Mount Wangwu. He often came among ordinary people. One day, hearing that a diviner was at the market, he went to see him. The diviner told him: “If you wish to enter Heaven’s gate, you must regulate the Three Passes, visualize yourself wearing vermilion robes, and set Kunlun upright.” Zhao Shuqi recognized that the man was a spirit, so he bowed and paid his respects, asking him to explain the essential method. The spirit then gave him a scroll called Notes from Within the Womb. Zhao Shuqi thanked him and accepted it. Later, he refined a divine elixir and ascended to Heaven.

Zhuang Bowei

Zhuang Bowei lived during the Han dynasty. When he was young, he was fond of Daoist arts, but did not know how to seek the Dao. He would only face northwest at sunset, close his eyes, clench his hands, and imagine the peaks of Kunlun piled one upon another…

Thirty years later, he met a man of Mount Kunlun—an immortal said to dwell there. The immortal taught him the formula for preparing and taking Golden Liquids. He prepared and took them according to the formula, and thereby attained the Dao.

The Daözhen Gao says: “After contemplating Mount Kunlun for twenty-one years, what he consumed entered his body. When Zhongshan studied the Dao, he still kept this method. About ten years later, he should close his eyes…”

“Then he suddenly saw Mount Kunlun. He continued contemplating it without pause, and at last saw an immortal. The immortal taught him the formula for Golden Liquids. He practiced according to it and eventually attained the Dao.”

Qu Wu

Qu Wu lived in the Eastern Han. At the age of seven, he stopped eating grain and instead consumed yellow essence and purple fungi. Later, he entered Mount Emei, where the Perfected One of Tianzhu—a title for an immortal—taught him the secrets of cultivation. He departed riding a white dragon. Today, there is a shrine to Lord Qu in Shu Prefecture.

Kuang Su

Kuang Su, whose courtesy name was Zixi, was renowned in his youth for his filial devotion and affection for his siblings. When the court summoned him, he did not answer the call. Instead, he devoted himself to studying the Dao and traveled among famous mountains.

He came to Mount Fusi. On the mountain was a lake several miles around, where many numinous plants and various strange things grew, beyond people’s ability to identify. By the lake stood a stone well, whose spring flowed into it. There was also a stone goose, which could be seen flying in flocks each spring and autumn. In addition, there was a small stone chest containing jade documents that recorded the mountain’s name, its blessed land, and the names of those who had attained the Dao. Later, Kuang Su consumed the appropriate substances, cultivated, and became an immortal.

Lu Dan

Lu Dan studied the Dao in his youth. After attaining the Dao and becoming an immortal, he returned to public service and served as an aide in the prefectural administration. He often flew through the air back to his home, then returned to the prefectural offices at dawn.

Once, during the New Year’s court audience, the officials were assembling in formation when Lu Dan arrived late. He flew to the front of the pavilion and circled, preparing to land. An attendant in charge of the ceremonial procession threw a broom at him and knocked off one of his shoes. Lu Dan then flew away.

Master Fu

Master Fu studied the Dao on Jiao Mountain. After devoting himself to cultivation for seven years, he met the Perfected One of Taiji, called the “Elder Lord of Taiji” in the Zhen’gao. The Perfected One gave him a wooden drill and told him to bore through a stone disc about five feet thick. He instructed him: “Once the stone disc has been drilled through, you can become an immortal.”

Master Fu then drilled without pause, day and night. After forty-seven years, he finally pierced the disc. The immortal came and said to him, “With resolve as steadfast as yours, how could you fail to attain the Dao?” He then taught him the Golden Liquid Reverted Elixir, a Daoist elixir prepared and consumed through alchemical practice. After taking it, Master Fu transcended the mortal world. The Records of the Elixir Terrace says that he ascended to the Highest Clarity and became a Perfected One of Mount Heng.

Huang Guanzi

In his youth, Huang Guanzi was fond of Daoist arts and also venerated Buddhism. Every morning, he bowed and prayed for long life, continuing this practice for forty-nine years. Later, he consumed the appropriate substances, cultivated, and entered Jiao Mountain. The Perfected One of Taiji tested him with 140 methods, and he passed them all. He then took the Golden Elixir and chanted…

The Great Cavern Perfect Scripture now confers upon Shi Tan the title of Left Immortal Minister of the Supreme Ultimate, a rank among Daoist celestial officials.

Shi Tan

Shi Tan, courtesy name Hong Sun, was from Bohai. He traveled among the famous mountains of Zhao and Wei, and later attained the Dao.

He could divide himself and visit more than ten households at the same time. Each household had its own Shi Tan, and he spoke differently in each one.

Zhang Jujun

No one knew where Zhang Jujun was from. Xu Jishan had been ill for a long time and showed no sign of recovery. He therefore observed a fast and made offerings to Mount Tai, asking the spirits to reveal the cause of his illness. He prayed day and night. Suddenly, a divine being appeared and asked him, “Who are you, and why do you plead so earnestly with the powers of the netherworld? The Celestial Emperor has sent me to ask you. You may answer truthfully.”

Jishan replied, “I am Xu Jishan, from Pingyu in Runan. I have been ill for three years and do not know what offense I have committed. So I have come to the sacred mountain to ask for a judgment on my life, death, fortune, and misfortune.”

The divine being said, “I am the immortal Zhang Jujun. I understand the principles of the Changes and can use divination to discover the source of your misfortune.”

Jishan bowed again and asked him for guidance. Zhang Jujun cast a hexagram: Thunder became Duration, with the first nine, second six, and third six lines changing. Zhang Jujun said, “You are a man of wicked conduct. How could your illness possibly improve?”

Jishan said, “Please explain the reason to me.” Zhang Jujun replied, “You once traveled east with a companion to avenge your father. On the way, you killed that companion, hid his body in an abandoned well, and covered it with a large stone. The dead man reported you to the Heavenly Court, so you were punished with illness.”

Jishan said, “I did indeed commit this offense.” Zhang Jujun asked, “Why did you do such a thing?” Jishan replied, “Someone beat my father and humiliated him. I could never forget it. At the time, I was preparing to take revenge, but before we reached our destination, my companion tried to inform my enemy. That is why I killed him.”

Zhang Jujun said, “The principles of the unseen world cannot be deceived. You must confess your offense sincerely. When I return to the mountain, I will plead your case before the Celestial Emperor.” After that, Jishan’s illness gradually improved.

Zhang Jujun passed his method of divination on to Jishan, who came to delight in divination through the Changes. But he did not learn Zhang Jujun’s methods of cultivation for attaining longevity and transcending the world.